Well, this is not as easy as I thought. To explain 'Why Promise?' I must go way, way, way back.. to before I was even married. You see, my 'dream life' did not begin with a ready made family of four. I was unsure if marrying that handsome, loving Chilean man with two beautiful boys almost 4 and 7 years old was what I wanted... if I could even handle that responsibility.. if I could face the emotions and trials sure to arise. I wanted to marry a man who had never been married before, for starters! So, I actually refused, having been convinced by well meaning others that 'it is too much!'. Oh, how wrong I was. After saying 'no'.. I was truly in 'the depths of despair' as dear Anne of Green Gables loved to say. I was praying and crying out to God. Why? Why was my heart gone to this man when my future would surely be a 'broken' family? Not the whole, loving, family like I was brought up in. I could not see myself with 'half' children... when I knew I could love them with a whole heart.
And then, it happened. God promised me something dear and sweet. He promised that if I would take the step of faith, and love this man and his sons, we would surely be a 'whole' family. So, I did. And He did.
One of my most precious memories is the day our only daughter came home from the hospital (my first natural born child) and her older brother Ruben came in the house with his neighborhood playmates proclaiming to the world (I felt, anyway!) that "This is my WHOLE sister! She isn't my half sister!" I knew the promise had been kept, from the uninstructed words of a child.
Fast forward a few years.. Sissy is 4 years old.. and had a little Bubba aged 3. God is really laying it on my heart to homeschool all the children. My handsome Chilean husband says, give it a try. We take decide to take the boys out of public school... a big move! And we sit around the living room trying to choose a name for our new 'homeschool' to register with our state.. it must be a forever and always name (very difficult to change! if not impossible). So, I think, maybe use the children's initials? Other families have done that. Let's see... R-B-A-D. R-BAD School? Then we are rolling on the floor laughing... no, that will not work! (Doubly glad we didn't choose that way because we have another 'A' in the family!) Then I share with the children about God's promise to me. And we really feel like a whole family. So, it was decided... Promise Christian Academy.
The boys homeschooled until 8th and 9th grades. I am glad we did. I have never regretted having them home. And we didn't regret sending them back to public school, either. It was right for each season. Their siblings have been homeschooled from the start. And, so far, we have done well. Life has thrown us many punches. We have gone through many stages and phases. Our family has grown in number and togetherness. Through it all, we have managed to love and learn together. Who could ask for more?
Now... that is a very true, yet very brief, summary of a portion of my road as a mother and step-mother. This two lane road heading in the same direction has been FULL of seasons with heartache and grief, just like my dear loved ones warned about before my marriage... However, it has also always been FULL of blessings and joys... and they FAR outweigh the sorrows.
Hilda Rebecca
